Somewhere in a drawer, there’s probably a burned CD with a handwritten track list. Maybe it was a silver Sony Walkman, a flip phone with a polyphonic ringtone, or a car radio you tuned by hand. The 2000s had a sound, and it came out of speakers in a very particular way.
The fourteen songs below weren’t picked by a formula. They’re radio staples from the decade, and each one comes with a few facts that explain why it stuck. Some will make you grin and others might make you wince, though you’ll probably know every word.
Hey Ya! by Outkast (2003)
Few songs sounded as joyful and as restless as this one. Andre 3000 wrote it for Outkast’s double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, and it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for nine weeks. The tempo is fast, and the chorus is hard to stand still through.
The album also won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004, which is rare for a hip hop act. If you went to a school dance that year, you likely remember the whole room moving at once.
Crazy in Love by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z (2003)
This was Beyoncé’s first big solo statement after Destiny’s Child. It came from her debut album Dangerously in Love and spent eight weeks at number one on the Hot 100. The horn riff at the start is one of the most recognizable openings of the decade.
That riff is a sample from a track by The Chi-Lites, which gave the song an old soul feel under the modern beat. It also introduced a lot of listeners to the idea that a sample could be the whole hook.
Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson (2004)
Kelly Clarkson had already won the first season of American Idol, but this song changed how people saw her. It was on Breakaway and was co-written by Max Martin and Dr. Luke, two producers who shaped much of the decade’s pop. It reached number two on the Hot 100.
The pop rock sound felt bigger than most radio songs of the time. It’s still a karaoke favorite, mostly because the chorus invites you to belt it.
Mr. Brightside by The Killers (2004)
The Killers were from Las Vegas, but the song sounded like a rainy night in a London club. It was on their debut album Hot Fuss and began as a modest hit. In the US it reached the top ten of the Hot 100 in 2005.
Its real story has played out over years. In the UK it has spent more weeks on the charts than almost any other song in modern history, and it still fills dance floors.
Yeah! by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris (2004)
Lil Jon’s crunk production gave this song a stomping, club ready pulse. It led Usher’s album Confessions and spent twelve weeks at number one on the Hot 100. That’s a long run, even by the standards of a decade with plenty of big hits.
Ludacris adds a sharp verse in the middle. Together the three of them made something that was hard to avoid at any party in 2004.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day (2004)
Green Day had been around since the early nineties, but American Idiot gave them a second act. This was one of its biggest singles, a slow and moody song with a steady guitar line. It won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2006.
For many teens, it was the song that made rock radio feel dramatic and personal at once. You could hear it in a hallway, a bedroom, or a long bus ride.
Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani (2005)
The cheerleader chant and stomping beat made this a very different record from the rest of Gwen Stefani’s catalog. It was on her solo debut Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and spent four weeks at number one on the Hot 100. It was also the first digital download to sell a million copies in the US.
That milestone says a lot about the period. Music was moving from CDs to iTunes, and this song was one of the first signs of how fast it was happening.
Umbrella by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z (2007)
Rihanna had hits before this, but Umbrella made her a global star. It was the lead single from Good Girl Gone Bad and held the top of the Hot 100 for seven weeks. In the UK it stayed at number one for ten weeks.
The song also won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. A simple drum loop and a repeating chorus turned out to be enough for the whole planet.
Complicated by Avril Lavigne (2002)
Avril Lavigne arrived in 2002 with neckties, skate shoes, and a pop punk attitude. Complicated was the first single from her debut album Let Go and peaked at number two on the Hot 100. It made her one of the most visible teenage artists in the world almost overnight.
It’s an easy song to place in time. Baggy cargo pants, a Discman, and a school bag covered in pins all come to mind.
Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (2006)
Shakira had already built a career in Latin music, and this song pushed her fully into the English language mainstream. It reached number one on the Hot 100 in 2006 and came from the reissue of her album Oral Fixation Vol. 2. The trumpet line and Latin rhythm gave it a very different texture from most radio pop.
Wyclef Jean added a verse and a bit of a Caribbean flavor. The song went on to become one of the biggest hits of that summer around the world.
In the End by Linkin Park (2001)
Linkin Park mixed rock with rapping and electronic touches, and that blend defined a lot of early 2000s radio. In the End came from their debut album Hybrid Theory, which was later certified Diamond in the US for sales of ten million. The song itself reached number two on the Hot 100.
The piano loop at the start is instantly recognizable. Plenty of listeners can still recite Mike Shinoda’s verses from memory.
Bring Me to Life by Evanescence (2003)
Amy Lee’s voice over a heavy guitar and string arrangement gave this song a gothic, cinematic edge. It was on the album Fallen and also appeared on the soundtrack of the film Daredevil. Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones contributed guest vocals.
It won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance and reached the top five in the US. For a lot of people, it was the first loud song they truly loved.
Just Dance by Lady Gaga (2008)
Lady Gaga arrived near the end of the decade with a synth heavy sound that pointed straight at the 2010s. Just Dance featured Colby O’Donis and was produced with RedOne, and it came from her debut album The Fame. It reached number one on the Hot 100 in early 2009.
It’s a useful marker for how pop was shifting. The guitars of the early decade were giving way to club beats and glossy electronics.
Toxic by Britney Spears (2004)
The violin sample and surf guitar twang made this one of the most distinctive pop singles of the decade. It came from the album In the Zone and won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2005. The song reached the top ten of the Hot 100.
Its mix of spy movie drama and dance floor energy still sounds fresh. Hear the opening strings now and you’ll know exactly which song is coming.
